1994 vs 2009
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+54.3%
Median Home
+65.3%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1994 Price | 2009 Price | Change | Hours 1994 | Hours 2009 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.86 | $1.66 | +93% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.76 | $1.39 | +82% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.11 | $2.35 | +111% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.48 | $2.22 | +50% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.90 | $1.28 | +42% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.99 | $3.61 | +81% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.40 | $3.67 | +8% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.63 | $4.32 | +65% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.13 | +38% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $2,681 | $6,695 | +150% | 172.9h | 279.7h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $18,657 | $28,400 | +52% | 1202.9h | 1186.7h | Easier |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $485 | $784 | +62% | 31.3h | 32.7h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.37 | $70.76 | +106% | 2.2h | 3.0h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1994 to 2009, sorted by magnitude.
172.9h → 279.7h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.2h → 3.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
31.3h → 32.7h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1994 to 2009, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
1202.9h → 1186.7h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1994 ($32,260), you'd need $46,698 in 2009 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (148.2 → 214.6).